Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Hidden Under Her Heart book review

Wow. It doesn't happen very often, but every once in a while, I come across a 24 hour book. What is a 24 hour book? It's one that I devour in a single day, to the exclusion of as many other things as I can get away with.

Hidden Under Her Heart, by Rachelle Ayala, was such a book for me. While I made different choices than the character in the book, I could very much relate to the story. The author does an excellent job of portraying a variety of very realistic characters. I particularly appreciated the accuracy of her baby-obsessed potential adoptive mother.

Unplanned pregnancies bring with them a torrent of emotions, and she shows that expectant mothers are not always the most rational of creatures. The interactions between Maryanne and Lucas have a suspense to them that kept me up till 1:30 a.m. the night I picked the book up, and had me reach for the book before getting out of bed the next morning. (Fortunately, it was Veteran's Day, so I could "sleep in" a little before the kids started wondering what happened to me!)

Racism and abortion are ugly topics, but they are artfully woven into the story in such a natural and compassionate way. There was a truly beautiful illustration used in the story that moved me to tears. It was about our sins being like holes dug in the sand, and waves of God's love covering them and making them disappear.

I enjoyed the insight into the world of competitive athletics. I don't swim, bike, or run, so the triathlon is a mystery to me. It was easy to get caught up in the excitement of the race, once the big day came. I would like to see a sequel to this book. I want to know what happens to the characters next!